Bible: Deuteronomy 6-8

Exhortation to Keep the Covenant Principles

6:1Now theseare the commandments,1statutes, and ordinancesthatthe Lordyour Godinstructedme to teachyou so thatyou may carrythem out in the landwhereyouare headed26:2and thatyou may so reverethe Lordyour Godthat you will keepallhis statutesand commandments3thatIam giving4 you – you, your children, and your grandchildren – all your lives, to prolong your days.6:3Pay attention, Israel, and be carefulto dothis so thatit may go wellwith you and thatyou may increasegreatlyin number5 – asthe Lord, Godof your ancestors,6saidto you, you will have a landflowingwith milkand honey.

The Essence of the Covenant Principles

Exhortation to Teach the Covenant Principles

6:6ThesewordsI amcommandingyou todaymust be kept in mind,6:7and you must teach12them to your childrenand speakof them as you sitin your house, as you walkalong the road,13as you liedown, and as you getup.6:8You should tiethem as a reminderonyour forearm14and fasten them as symbols15on your forehead.6:9Inscribethem onthe doorframesof your housesand gates.16

Exhortation to Worship the Lord Exclusively

6:10Then whenthe Lordyour Godbrings you tothe landhe promisedyour ancestorsAbraham, Isaac, and Jacobto give you – a land with large, fine cities you did not build,6:11housesfilledwith choicethingsyou did notaccumulate, hewn outcisternsyou did notdig, and vineyardsand olive grovesyou did notplant– and you eatyour fill,6:12be carefulnotto forgetthe Lordwhobroughtyou out of Egypt, that placeof slavery.176:13You mustreverethe Lordyour God, servehim, and take oathsusing only his name.6:14You must notgoafterothergods, those18of the surroundingpeoples,6:15forthe Lordyour God, who is present amongyou, is a jealousGodand his angerwill eruptagainstyou and removeyou from the land.19

Exhortation to Obey the Lord Exclusively

6:16You must notputthe Lordyour Godto the testas you did at Massah.206:17Keephis21 commandmentsvery carefully,22as wellas the stipulationsand statuteshe commandedyou to observe.6:18Dowhatever is proper23and goodbeforethe Lordso that it maygo wellwith you and that you may enterand occupythe goodlandthathe24 promisedyour ancestors,6:19and that you may driveout allyour enemiesjustas the Lordsaid.

Exhortation to Remember the Past

6:20Whenyour children25askyou lateron, “Whatare the stipulations, statutes, and ordinancesthatthe Lordour Godcommandedyou?”6:21you must sayto them,26 “We were Pharaoh’sslavesin Egypt, but the Lordbrought us outof Egyptin a powerfulway.276:22And he28 brought signsand great, devastatingwondersonEgypt, on Pharaoh, and on his wholefamily29before our very eyes.6:23He deliveredus from thereso thathe could giveus the landhe hadpromisedour ancestors.6:24The Lordcommandedusto obeyallthesestatutesand to reverehim30 so thatit may alwaysgo wellfor us and he may preserveus, as he has to thisday.6:25We will beinnocentifwe carefullykeepallthese commandments31beforethe Lordour God, justas he demands.”32

The Dispossession of Nonvassals

7:1Whenthe Lordyour Godbringsyou tothe landthatyouare goingto occupyand forces outmanynationsbefore you – Hittites,33 Girgashites,34 Amorites,35 Canaanites,36 Perizzites,37 Hivites,38 and Jebusites,39 seven40 nations more numerous and powerful than you –7:2and he41 delivers them overto you and you attackthem, you must utterlyannihilate42them. Makenotreaty43with them and show them nomercy!7:3You must notintermarrywith them. Do notgiveyour daughtersto their sonsortaketheir daughtersfor your sons,7:4forthey will turnyour sonsawayfromme to worshipothergods. Then the angerof the Lordwill eruptagainst you and he will quicklydestroyyou.7:5Instead, this is whatyou must doto them: You must teardown their altars, shattertheir sacred pillars,44cut downtheir sacred Asherah poles,45and burn uptheir idols.7:6Foryouare a peopleholy46to the Lordyour God. He47 has chosenyou to behis people, prized48above allothersonthe faceof the earth.

The Basis of Israel’s Election

7:7It is notbecauseyou were more numerousthan allthe other peoplesthatthe Lordfavoredand chose you – for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples.7:8Ratherit is because of his49 love50foryou and his faithfulness to the promise51 he solemnlyvowed52 to your ancestors53that the Lordbrought you outwith great power,54redeeming55you from the place of slavery, from the power56of Pharaohkingof Egypt.7:9So realizethatthe Lordyour Godis the true God,57the faithfulGodwho keepscovenantfaithfully58with those who lovehim and keephis commandments, to a thousandgenerations,7:10but who paysback those who hate59him as they deserveand destroysthem. He will notignore60those who hatehim but will repaythem as they deserve!7:11So keepthe commandments, statutes, and ordinancesthatI todayamcommandingyou to do.

Promises of Good for Covenant Obedience

7:12Ifyou obeytheseordinancesand are carefulto dothem, the Lordyour Godwill faithfullykeepcovenantwith you61 ashe promised62your ancestors.7:13He will loveand blessyou, and make you numerous. He will blessyou with many children,63with the produceof your soil, your grain, your new wine, your oil, the offspringof your oxen, and the youngof your flocksinthe landwhichhe promisedyour ancestorsto giveyou.7:14You will be blessedbeyondallpeoples; there will benobarrenness64among you or your livestock.7:15The Lordwill protectyou fromallsickness, and you will not experience anyof the terriblediseasesthatyou knewin Egypt; instead he will inflictthemonallthose who hateyou.

Exhortation to Destroy Canaanite Paganism

7:16You must destroy65allthe peoplewhom the Lordyour Godis about to deliverover to you; you must notpitythem orworship66their gods, forthat will be a snareto you.7:17Ifyou think, “Thesenationsare more numerousthan I – how can I dispossess them?”7:18you must notfearthem. You mustcarefully recall67whatthe Lordyour Goddidto Pharaohand allEgypt,7:19the greatjudgments68you saw, the signsand wonders, the strengthand power69by whichhe70 brought you out– thusthe Lordyour Godwill doto allthe peopleyoufear.7:20Furthermore, the Lordyour Godwill releasehornets71among them untilthe very last ones who hidefrom you72 perish.7:21You must nottremblein their presence, forthe Lordyour God, who is present amongyou, is a greatand awesomeGod.7:22He,73 the Godwho leads you, will expelthenationslittleby little. You will notbe allowedto destroythem all at oncelestthe wildanimalsoverrunyou.7:23The Lordyour Godwill givethem overto you; he will throwthem into a greatpanic74untilthey are destroyed.7:24He will handovertheir kingsto you and you will erasetheir very namesfrommemory.75Nobodywill be able to resistyou untilyou destroythem.7:25You must burnthe imagesof their gods, but do notcovetthe silverand goldthat covers themsomuch that you takeit for yourself and thus become ensnaredby it; forit is abhorrent76to the Lordyour God.7:26You must notbringany abhorrentthing intoyour houseand thereby become an objectof divinewrath77 along with it.78 You must absolutely detest79and abhorit,80 forit is an object of divinewrath.

The Lord’s Provision in the Desert

8:1You must keepcarefullyallthese commandments81I amgiving82you todayso that you maylive, increasein number,83 and goin and occupythe landthatthe Lordpromisedto your ancestors.848:2Rememberthewholewayby whichhe85has broughtyou thesefortyyearsthrough the desert86so thathe might, by humblingyou, testyou to see ifyou haveit withinyou to keephis commandmentsornot.8:3So he humbledyou by making you hungryand then feedingyou with unfamiliarmanna.87He did this to teachyou88 thathumankind89cannotlivebybread90alone, but alsobyeverythingthat comesfrom the Lord’smouth.918:4Your clothingdid notwear outnor did your feetswellall thesefortyyears.8:5Be keenlyawarethatjust asa parentdisciplineshis child,92the Lordyour Goddisciplinesyou.8:6So you must keephis93 commandments, live according to his standards,94 and reverehim.8:7Forthe Lordyour Godis bringingyou toa goodland, a landof brooks,95springs, and fountainsflowing forthin valleysand hills,8:8a landof wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, of olive treesand honey,8:9a landwhereyou may eatfood96in plentyand find nolackof anything, a landwhosestonesare iron97and from whose hillsyou can minecopper.8:10You will eatyour filland then praisethe Lordyour Godbecauseof the goodlandhe hasgivenyou.

Exhortation to Remember That Blessing Comes from God

8:11Be sureyou do notforgetthe Lordyour Godby notkeepinghis commandments, ordinances, and statutesthatI amgivingyou today.8:12Whenyou eatyour fill, when you buildand occupygoodhouses,8:13whenyour cattleand flocksincrease, when you have plenty of silverand gold, and when you have abundanceof everything,8:14be sure98 you do not feel self-importantand forgetthe Lordyour Godwho broughtyou from the landof Egypt, the placeof slavery,8:15and who broughtyou through the great, fearfuldesertof venomous serpents99and scorpions, an arid placewith nowater. He made waterflow100 from a flintrockand8:16fedyou in the desertwith manna(whichyour ancestorshad neverbefore known) so thathe might by humblingyou testyou101 and eventuallybring goodto you.8:17Be careful102 not to say, “My own abilityand skill103have gottenme thiswealth.”8:18You must rememberthe Lordyour God, forhe is the one who givesabilityto get wealth; if you do thishe will confirmhis covenantthathe made by oathto your ancestors,104even as he has to thisday.8:19Nowifyou forgetthe Lordyour Godat all105 and followothergods, worshipingand prostratingyourselves before them, I testifyto you todaythatyou will surely be annihilated.8:20Justlike the nationsthe Lordis about to destroyfrom your sight, sohe will do to you106 becauseyou would notobeyhim.107